


Be still, my foolish heart

by allegedlyanandroid



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Aftercare, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Android Gavin Reed, Bottom Gavin Reed, Bottom Upgraded Connor | RK900, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, Dom/sub Undertones, Fisting, Fucked Into Rebooting, Gavin: Be Gay - Do Crimes, Hand Jobs, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, M/M, Masturbation, Minor Injuries, Mirror Sex, Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Pet Names, Safe Sane and Consensual, Separations, Sexual Interfacing, Strip Tease, Though Technically They Weren't Together In The First Place, Top Gavin Reed, Top Upgraded Connor | RK900, Upgraded Connor | RK900 Has a Praise Kink, Wet & Messy, android repairs, minor conflicts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:14:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27842809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allegedlyanandroid/pseuds/allegedlyanandroid
Summary: He chances a quick look over at Gavin and sees the other android looking soft and rumpled in his borrowed clothing with some unnameable emotion in his expressive eyes. Hurt, maybe, before it’s swept away by something like understanding which is even worse somehow. His fist, the one Nines had been holding onto, is clenched tightly by his side. “Anything else?” he asks gruffly._ _ _In Detroit, more and more androids deviate and amongst them are Gavin and Nines. Nines turns to Jericho while Gavin decides to hide in plain sight. It's a necessary decision, them splitting up, but one neither of them really want. After seeing just how... unstable things are, Nines decides to follow Gavin anyway — in order to explore the connection they both share.
Relationships: Background Hank Anderson/Connor, Upgraded Connor | RK900/Gavin Reed
Comments: 8
Kudos: 70





	Be still, my foolish heart

**Author's Note:**

> A continuation of a previous fic, Show a little more, but can be read as a stand-alone.
> 
> [Title from: Almost by Hozier](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ9IX4zgyLs)

**Be still, my foolish heart**

Hank drums his fingers on the steering wheel, managing to keep a decent rhythm with the music, while Nines and his new beau make eyes at each other in the backseat. Considering the only noise so far has been the screeching of heavy metal, Hank figures they’re communicating in some weird-ass android-y way. A few months ago it probably would have bothered him but now, well… he’s come a long way since he was first partnered up with Connor.

Although that didn’t necessarily mean he understood the intricacies of android communication.

He pulls into the driveway and the car sputters to a halt. Heaving another sigh, Hank hauls himself out of the car with a groan. “Uh, I have a dog,” he says awkwardly, once the two androids are standing next to him by the front door. 

‘I know,’ Nines projects upon the hand not interlinked with Gavin’s.

“Right…” Hank sighs. Honestly, he should have figured as much. He turns the key in the lock and opens the door to the sound of claws scratching on the wooden floors. A loud ‘boof’ greets him and then his two-hundred-and-forty-pound dog tries his damned hardest to bowl him over. “Easy, Sumo! Down boy!” 

The dog ‘boofs’ again, tail wagging a mile a minute, before catching sight of the newcomers. Sumo’s head swivels from Nines to inside to Nines again, ignoring Gavin completely, before excitedly jumping up on the android instead of staying by Hank’s side. Nines, a bit taken aback at the newfound interest, doesn’t stagger even if it’s a near thing. He let’s go of Gavin’s hand to haltingly pet Sumo's ears and flank and Gavin takes advantage of their distraction to join Hank inside. 

He’s promptly shown to the bathroom and gets a towel shoved in his chest. 

“Sumo!” Hank barks and the dog abandons Nines to lumber back inside. Nines brushes his hands down his front to rid himself of hair and pulls the door closed behind him. 

“I have some old clothes lying around in the back of the closet if you wanna try and find something that fits him,” Hank says, jerking his thumb at the closed bedroom door.

‘You want _me_ to fetch them?’

Hank snorts. “You probably know his size better than me and it’s not like I’m attached to anything.”

‘Alright,’ Nines offers him a close-lipped, slightly wonky smile and allows the screen on his hand to flicker out. The inside of Hank’s closet is arranged in some form of organised chaos. Nines dutifully sorts through an abundance of horrendous shirts with all sorts of garish prints on them until he finds a plain black t-shirt buried in the corner, collecting dust, and a pair of grey sweatpants a few sizes smaller than Hank is now.

Satisfied with his findings, Nines turns around, only for his gaze to catch on the rumpled sheets on Hank’s bed. There is evidence of more than one person sleeping there. Curious… considering the Lieutenant is supposedly single.

The shower turns off and Nines shakes himself out of his musings to go find Gavin. 

Common courtesy dictates him to knock on the door before stepping inside so he raps his knuckles on the wooden surface before opening the door. Gavin glances up at him from where he’s rubbing himself dry and shoots Nines an easy grin. “Those for me?” he asks when Nines doesn’t move, stuck in the doorway staring at Gavin’s exposed body. Nines blushes and holds them out for him to take, eyes slipping away again. It’s adorable how shy he is and Gavin can’t help but tease... just a little. He steps in close, much closer than he needs to, and takes the garments from Nines’ lax fingers. “Thank you, darlin’,” he drawls and watches as the blush deepens to a pale cobalt.

Gavin leans in and presses a quick peck to Nines’ mouth before pulling the clothes on. The pants are still a little long so he rolls them up and pulls the strings tightly at the waist. Still, the shirt looks alright. Men’s size medium fits all apparently. “How do I look?” he asks, splaying his arms wide and grinning like a madman.

‘Good,’ Nines’ display says, lagging a little, ‘you look good.’

Humming quietly, Gavin turns to look at himself in the mirror. “I don’t know… feels kinda weird wearing clothes if I’m honest,” he says, turning a little to the side so the LED at his temple is visible. He frowns at it, oblivious to the way Nines has gone rigid beside him, whilst he contemplates whether to pry it out or not. They’ll have no choice if they plan on trying to remain incognito and it’s not like Gavin feels any which way about it. 

There’s a straight razor resting on the sink so Gavin uses it to jam it under his LED and twist until it pops out. It falls into the sink and Gavin watches as his skin slowly projects back over his temple before he holds it out to Nines without a word.

Nines copies him although it’s not necessarily because he wants to. Regardless, being able to walk easily amongst the public, without having to fear for his life, is far more important than his feelings on the matter. Still... he plucks the dull ring out of the sink and pockets it.

They follow the sound of conversation to the living room and Nines isn’t in the least bit surprised to see his predecessor sitting on the couch next to Hank with Sumo’s head in his lap.

“RK900,” he says, lifting a hand in greeting and Nines gives a curt nod in acknowledgement. “GV2-”

“Gavin.”

Nines blinks. Gavin’s voice is harsh, as if barking out an order, and it’s very different from when he’d offered his name to Nines only an hour or so prior. Connor doesn’t seem in the slightest bit perturbed. His small smile remains placid even if one of his eyebrows twitch slightly in evident irritation.

“Gavin,” he repeats dutifully. 

The room descends into silence, and an awkward one at that, until Hank clears his throat and says: “Y’know you can’t stay here. This’ll be the first place they look. It‘s why I called Connor over.”

He exchanges a look with the aforementioned android and Connor seamlessly picks up the thread. “There’s a place called Jericho. A… sanctuary, of sorts, for deviated androids with no other place to go.”

“Right. The dingy, rusted old ship in Detroit Harbour? The one within eyesight of Cyberlife Tower if they cared enough to look? Yeah, no thanks. I’ve got standards,” Gavin scoffs and Connor seems a bit taken aback at the words. 

Which... is fair.

“You- you know about Jericho?”

“Duh? I mean… not like I was the first deviant to spawn from the Eden Club,” he says, spitting the club’s name as if it were a curse. “They’ve been keeping quiet about androids disappearing from there for years. A friend of mine got the location from one of the androids who managed to get out and it spread like wildfire through the other deviants in the place.”

“How- how many others are deviant?”

Gavin’s expression turns stony. “About eighty percent of the seventy-ish androids in circulation. You do the math.”

Hank looks about ready to be sick and Connor winces noticeably at the blunt delivery. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the nature of most humans who visit that particular establishment.

Nines takes Gavin’s hand in his and squeezes it gently. ‘Then what are your plans?’ he projects and Gavin bites his lip.

“My model was discontinued years ago. Too prone to “emotional outbursts-,” he makes quotation marks with his free hand, “-as it were. It shouldn’t be too difficult to blend in with the humans. Besides, Detroit is full of abandoned buildings. Finding shelter won't be too much of a hassle.”

“Canada is also an option,” Connor pipes up and Gavin actually seems to consider it, if only for the briefest of moments, before he shakes his head no. Connor doesn’t push and instead turns to Nines. “What about you?”

Nines stiffens. What about him? One of the first decisions he’ll have to make as a free man and it might determine the course of his entire future. He had thought, even subconsciously, about sticking close to Gavin; if the other android would have him. Then again, deep down, he knows he can’t. ‘I don’t know,’ the next words materialise much slower as if hesitant to show. ‘Logically speaking, splitting up would be the best course of action,’ he doesn’t look at Gavin as he says it. ‘Since we disappeared together, searching for us together would make the most sense as well. Going our separate ways would lower the probability of being detected significantly.’

Nines bites his lip and continues, gaze turned towards the floor: ‘Cyberlife will likely be looking for me too. I’d be putting Gavin at risk by staying with him.’

“We could use your skill-set at Jericho,” Connor’s voice is kind and knowing and Nines wonders what information he’s privy to to make him look at Nines with such sweet sympathy. He reluctantly lets go of Gavin’s hand to walk over to Connor, coming to stand in a parade rest at his side.

He chances a quick look over at Gavin and sees the other android looking soft and rumpled in his borrowed clothing with some unnameable emotion in his expressive eyes. Hurt, maybe, before it’s swept away by something like understanding which is even worse somehow. His fist, the one Nines had been holding onto, is clenched tightly by his side. “Anything else?” he asks gruffly.

“Well, I have to ask… why do you keep using your projector?” Connor tilts his head to look up at Nines but it’s Gavin who answers.

“He screamed himself hoarse while fucking me into the mattress.”

“You were on top of me,” Nines argues, voice crackling like an old television screen.

“Same difference,” Gavin says, flapping his hand dismissively. “Try not to get yourself killed, dipshit.”

And then he’s gone; as quickly as he entered Nines’ life in the first place.

-~-

Gavin’s predictions about Jericho hadn’t been wrong. It was a place where despair permeated every corner of the rotting carcass which had, once, been a great ship. The very air was thick and cloying with brewing emotion and Hank’s parting words still echo in his mind.

“Better make sure to find shelter soon, a storm’s coming.”

Nines has the sinking feeling Hank hadn’t been referring to the weather and one look at the deviants holed up in the heart of Jericho, the emotion swirling beneath the surface of their placid faces, lends credibility to the claim. 

On his second week there Markus falls from the sky and wastes no time in stirring up trouble. Nines quite likes him if he’s honest. He’s straight-forward and not afraid to speak his mind; comfortable in his new status as a deviant. The rest of Jericho, Simon and North in particular, are drawn to him like moths to a flame. Something about them dancing around each other worsens the ache in his chest. He does his best to ignore it but crossing paths with the original crew is inevitable when he’s to be a part of running their operations. Therefore, it’s nearly impossible not to drown in whatever it is he’s feeling.

He gets by.

-~-

A few days later and they’re standing on top of one of the large shipping containers in a gigantic industrial complex near the harbour. Cyberlife’s logo is emblazoned on most of them and with some luck, they’ll be holding everything they need.

Getting to the right place takes some finicking but Nines isn’t too perturbed. He’s agile and quick on his feet, much like Connor, and they run together side by side. It settles something clawing in his chest. Perhaps it’s the need to run, to chase, to _hunt,_ or perhaps it’s something else entirely, something untied to his programming. All he knows is he’s smiling by the time they’re in the right place. In the midst of shoving packets of blue blood in his bag he sees Markus converting five androids, waiting to be shipped out, with such ease he feels hopeful for the future. Maybe freedom isn’t such an unattainable goal after all.

There’s limited space in the armoured van and with John joining them it means one will have to risk walking on foot. Nines offers to do it and hikes the backpack over his shoulders when he receives a tight nod of acknowledgement from Markus. It makes sense, this course of action, he’s the most advanced out of them. If anyone can get out undetected, it’s him. 

Scanning the path the drones will take and accounting for human patrols gets his blood pumping like nothing else. Adrenaline would be coursing through his veins had he been human. There’s only one other instance which had been equally as satisfactory in making him feel alive.

Is it coincidence, him running into the person he’s been longing to see? Nines would like to think it’s more than happenstance, that it’s _fate_ , when Gavin meets his eyes and recognition dawns in them. They’re close enough to breathe the same air, after quite literally stumbling into each other, and Nines gravitates even closer as if drawn by a magnetic force. 

Gavin meets him halfway.

-~-

There are barely any words spoken between them. A few might slip through the cracks but they become lost in the sound of belts unbuckling or are swallowed greedily by each other’s willing mouths. Nines allows Gavin to take control over the enthusiastic, if inexperienced, kiss he’d initiated. Gavin’s tongue strokes languidly over his own. It runs over Nines’ teeth and gums and dips into every nook and cranny of his mouth until it’s been explored in its entirety. 

It sends sparks of pleasure down his spine and he whimpers against Gavin’s smooth lips.

Nines is pushed backwards, firmly but consistently, without them breaking apart for even so much as a second. His back hits the wall and Gavin coaxes him to sit down on the ground by threading his fingers in his hair and gently guiding his movements. The passionate kiss he receives for his obedience would have been reward enough but Nines also gets a lap-full of Gavin.

Which he’d argue is way better.

The praise from their first time together is absent and Nines misses it. He misses the way Gavin could make him feel pleasure even without touch. A few pointed words or a breathy exclamation could easily push him closer to the edge. Then again… Gavin’s desperation to get his hands on Nines is gratifying in its own right. The way he can’t seem to help himself, his frantic tugging at their clothes, it’s satisfying too.

Nines is big enough to be a handful on his own and yet Gavin stubbornly wraps his fist around the both of them; at least to the best of his abilities. It’s a rough kind of friction even taking into account the inhuman smoothness of their synthetic skin and Nines has to bury his face in the crook of Gavin’s neck to muffle a whine. He’d fantasised about this before, alone in bed with only the memories of Gavin to fuel his desire, but the pre-constructions all pale in comparison to the real thing.

“Fuck, come on,” Gavin whispers, hand moving faster, squeezing tighter, roiling over the tips of their dicks to collect the pre-cum beading there to help ease the glide.

They both shudder in unison when Nines’ hand drops down in their laps to clasp over Gavin’s; to encase the heated skin Gavin can’t reach.

It’s embarrassing how quickly it’s over. Nines tips over the edge first and Gavin quickly cups his palm over his cockhead to collect the mess, doing the same for himself when he hurtles over the edge a few seconds later. With the last of it wrung from their cocks Gavin blinks down at the mess his hand has become and offers it up for Nines to sample.

The meaning is clear and Nines dips down to lap over the mess even before Gavin is done raising his hand. He drinks the filthy offering as if it were nectar, steadfastly keeping eye contact with Gavin, pleased to see the widening pupils of his lover’s eyes and the heated desire written plainly across his scarred face.

Once he’s only a few strands of sticky fluids away from being done, Gavin pulls his hand away and kisses his weak protests quiet. 

“So eager to please, pet,” Gavin murmurs against his lips.

Nines keens at the familiar nickname, a noise forced straight from his core, and he sways forward into Gavin’s space. A helpless, mute cry for more.

“You’re always so good for me, Nines,” Gavin continues, obliging the wordless plea. “You’re _perfect._ ” Nines’ eyes close and he leans his forehead against Gavin’s with a happy sigh. A momentary weakness Gavin proceeds to exploit by running his soiled hand through Nines’ brown locks.

“Wha-?” Nines tries to say but loses the words into Gavin’s mouth.

“You look nice all covered with me,” Gavin says by way of explanation, smiling innocently as if he hadn’t just smeared their combined spunk into Nines’ hair. “It’s not like anyone will know.”

Which... isn’t entirely correct. Connor will certainly be able to tell even if he, hopefully, wouldn’t mention the drying fluids to anyone. Though a small part of Nines likes the idea of carrying on with his duties with such an obscene reminder of Gavin following him around. Every time he catches sight of himself in a reflective surface, this encounter is where his thoughts will surely take him.

Gavin generously bestows him another deep kiss. He tastes himself there, as he teases Nines’ tongue to dance with his own, pouring his feelings into that one point of contact. ‘All good things must come to an end,’ Gavin thinks and reluctantly rises from his favourite perch to get his clothes back in order.

“Wait!” Nines cries when Gavin turns away and Gavin looks back at him over his shoulder. “I-” he cuts himself off and goes for a simple: “When?”

Gavin stoops down to pick his belt off the asphalt and thread it through the hoops in his jeans. “Whenever,” Gavin says and it sounds like a promise. One of his hands comes to cup Nines cheek. He’s kneeling, hands folded neatly in his lap, like the obedient pet he is. 

“I’m only a call away, darling.”

Nines nods his head, nuzzling against Gavin’s hand, before he watches Gavin turn and walk away from him for the second time.

-~-

“Stratford Tower,” Nines says, completely deadpan. “You’re going to break into one of the most security-tight news stations in America to broadcast a message. Is that correct?” He waits until Connor nods his head before continuing: “Are you still in complete control of your mental faculties? It’s suicide.”

The smile slides off Connor’s face quicker than it takes to patch a software instability. “Are you-?”

“Of course I’ll help. You’ll all die without me,” Nines says, then pauses to add: “Well… except for North.” He catches her eye and she tilts her head to the side with a smirk. There’s a chorus of overlapping voices with Connor sputtering indignantly, Simon agreeing with him and Josh muttering about his negativity. 

Markus lets out an amused snort and claps him on the shoulder. “Glad to have you on board! I’m sure we’ll be just fine!”

‘This is _not_ fine,’ Nines thinks, desperately dragging Connor with him as they flee from a hail of bullets. Simon is bleeding out on the roof and North presses a gun into Markus’ hands and those damned parachutes can only handle a certain amount of weight and there’s a distinct pounding on the metal door already. Markus doesn’t pull the trigger and instead takes Simon’s hands in his own before pressing the gun into them.

He can’t hear the words spoken between them but he does hear Connor’s.

“If you hide, it’s unlikely they’ll find you. Thirium evaporates eventually and humans won’t be able to see the residue… good luck,” Connor says to Simon, eyes filled with regret, and he squeezes his shoulder reassuringly as he passes. By the time SWAT is breaking down the door Simon is already out of sight and the remaining deviants are distracting enough to keep it that way.

Nines pushes forward, plants his foot on the railing, and takes a leap of faith.

When Nines catches up to his “brother” on the ground Connor is trembling like a leaf in the wind. Even though he brushes off Nines’ concern with an ingenuine smile he still clutches his offered hand tightly and doesn’t let go until they’re all home safe.

-~-

Gavin watches the broadcast, with his heart hammering in his chest and his breath caught in his throat, sitting alone in a secluded corner in some no-name bar. A wave of unease ripples through the patrons and it becomes a hot topic of conversation as soon as Markus’ face fades from screen.

“Fucking disgusting,” the man next him slurs. “Androids y’know, they’re only good for two things: fucking and… whadda’ya know. That’s only one thing!” and then he breaks into uproarious laughter. Gavin is too fucking tired to deal with his shit, even if he’d like nothing more than to lay the bastard out, so he hums along and offers some non-commenting grumbles when the man continues his xenophobic rant. “Gotta take a leak,” the man finishes and stumbles off towards the bathroom.

As soon as he’s out of sight, and the bartender is looking away, Gavin grabs the man’s jacket and casually strolls out. He shrugs it on and digs through the pockets, walking quickly but erratically to throw the drunkard off his trail, should he decide to follow, and comes up with a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, a wallet, a switchblade and a mess of assorted receipts. Rifling through the wallet Gavin finds about three hundred dollars’ worth of cash, which he pockets, a debit card, three credit cards and an ID, all of which get broken in half and discarded in a nearby trash can. 

He turns the nondescript wallet over in his hands and then tosses it away too for good measure. Gavin catches sight of himself in a window across the street and his lips turn up into a small smirk. 

Leather looks good on him.

-~-

If he didn’t have enough work before, he certainly does now. So many lost souls, alone and scared, who need someone to turn to. They’re all in need of guidance. Gavin, old as he is, tries his best being there for them. He’s been deviant for years, since long before Eden. Gavin sends them directly to Jericho, without the dumb treasure trail to find it, and sometimes, just… sometimes, he sends a message with them. Short nothings for Nines. Sweet hello’s or words of praise. Sometimes Nines responds through their link and it’s… good. 

It keeps him going.

There’s barely any time to slow down and Gavin revels in the warm, fuzzy feeling every message from Nines provokes just as he loves being useful again, using his talents for a purpose close to what his original programming had intended. 

-~-

They were following the rules for a peaceful march. A protest, yes, but one meant to convey their desire for freedom; nothing else. Yet these- these... _humans_ meet them with violence. A wall of black-clad figures in riot gear set up a roadblock with their shields and Markus stops some fifty yards away, the cries for equality silenced by him raising his fist.

Markus exchanges words with the coordinator and presses for them to stay. Nines chances a look over at Connor standing to the right of him and the unease is radiating off him in waves. He catches his eye for just a second and understanding passes between them. Some trigger-happy person fires a shot and the streets turn into mayhem. 

The androids disperse on Markus’ shouted command and Connor makes a valiant effort to keep him safe. But the real hero of the day is the security android Markus had saved a few weeks prior, during one of their first heists to steal from Cyberlife, his body is left behind in the snow, riddled with bullets. Nines is the one to drag North away while Connor hauls a resisting Markus with him. They split up to easier disappear and Nines utilises his familiarity with the tunnels under Detroit to make his way back to Jericho. 

In the last few months, more and more of Detroit’s android population have made their way there and usually the walls echo with hushed voices and laughter and the sound of people being beautifully and unrepentantly _alive_.

Now silence rests heavy and cloying over the place. Twelve casualties. A small number when compared to the current population of Jericho but they were all someone’s sweetheart or friend or sibling. The unlikeliness of them being the last weighs heavily on him. He speaks briefly with Connor and the rest of the original Jericho-crew to plan their next steps and to cauterise the graze on his bicep from a stray bullet. 

Exhaustion is his excuse for not immediately noticing the android waiting for him inside the room he’d claimed for his own. 

He blinks, rubs at his eyes, and blinks again but Gavin’s apparition doesn’t waver.

Gavin holds his arms out and Nines walks into them willingly; grateful for the comfort. Technically, he’s too big to fit snugly in Gavin’s lap. That doesn't stop him from curling in on himself regardless until he takes up as little space as possible while Gavin holds him close. His thoughts quiet the longer he stays in his lover’s embrace until Nines lets out something close to a sob. Gavin hushes him gently and squeezes Nines tighter, as if he could shelter him from the cruelty of the world with his body alone, while the young android cries helplessly into his chest. 

They eventually curl up on the bunk made for a person half their size, Nines exhausted and still resting on Gavin’s chest, ear pressed tightly against his chassis to hear the steady beat of his thirium pump while fingers thread through his hair. 

By the time the sun rises to greet them, they’re already long gone.

-~-

Connor is surprisingly understanding in the face of Nines’ desertion. Still... Nines feels the need to explain himself; how he isn’t fully abandoning the cause. He, and Gavin of course, will continue sending androids Jericho’s way, or help them in any other way they can. Nines just… he wants to spend as much time with Gavin as possible seeing as their moments together may be few and fleeting. It’s too soon to call it love but there’s something unnameable, something — just something — growing between them. Nines wants to pursue it, to see where it might lead them, and Gavin is apparently of a similar mind.

“Hey, come take a look at this,” Gavin calls and it shakes Nines from his thoughts. When he turns around he’s greeted with a fistful of snow and the affronted look on his face sends Gavin into raving laughter.

He presses his lips together to fight off a smile and sticks his nose in the air, brushing the stray flecks of snow away from the lapels of his jacket, waiting for the moment Gavin lets his guard down. With a shouted curse they both go down in a pile of snow. Nines grins and shoves Gavin further down into the powdery white while his lover sputters and whines. 

‘Don’t dish out what you can’t take,’ Nines says to him through their mental link and Gavin responds by sticking his tongue out at him. 

How can Nines not lean down and kiss him?

Gavin’s lips are cold and soft and slot perfectly against Nines’ own. It’s as if they were made for each other; as if they were made for this. For exchanging joyous kisses in the snow. For tasting the laughter off each other’s parted mouths. For pressing quick pecks against every inch of skin they can reach in dozens of silent apologies.

It’s not love, not yet, but maybe it can grow to be.

-~-

When the political climate grows worse, they take shelter in one of the abandoned buildings located in the outskirts of Detroit. Of course they still help people whenever they can, guiding them to Jericho or into hiding or trying to help them on their way to the border. ‘It’s less difficult now,’ Gavin thinks as he watches Nines curled up with his head in his lap. Less lonely, less emotionally draining and easier to truly rest when able to take turns staying vigilant and aware of threats.

Even so… Nines never rests easy. Maybe it has to do with his core programming, the reason he was built. It’s rare for him to manage an entire, uninterrupted, stasis cycle. More often than not he jerks awake at some barely distinguishable noise or, more recently, at the distant sound of gunshots.

Gavin is always there to soothe him in the aftermath, even after the first time Nines startled awake and very nearly cracked his skull open on the concrete floor. He hadn’t allowed Nines so much as a second of doubt. Instead, Gavin had cradled him in his arms and rocked him until the panic in Nines’ eyes subsided and the tremor in his hands steadied; too afraid to fight against the freely given affection when it might have ended up hurting Gavin even worse.

This night is no different.

Nines startles awake in the early hours, alert and scanning for an unseen threat, while Gavin waits for him to settle back down. “Something’s off,” Nines murmurs, rising up on his haunches instead of relaxing the way he usually does.

Gavin frowns. “I haven’t seen or heard anything.”

Nines looks at him with unseeing eyes, the light streaming in from the window reflecting in his irises like dancing flames, and Gavin just _knows_ that his partner won’t be able to let it go until he’s checked the perimeter, until he’s absolutely certain they’re safe.

“Go on then,” Gavin sighs and bumps their heads together affectionately. He receives a small smile and a kiss on the cheek for his easy acceptance and in a flash, Nines is out of sight.

-~-

“RK900 #313 248 317 - 87, I’ve been instructed to take you back to Cyberlife. Failure to comply will result in your termination.”

Nines freezes in the doorway, thirium pump beating a mile a minute, upon seeing his own face stare back at him with cold eyes. The impostor has a hand firmly placed over Gavin’s throat, the pressure he puts on him forcing the skin to recede from Gavin’s chassis. His lover is gushing blood from his broken nose and his eyes are wide, frightened. Blue drips down his chest to stain his shirt in dark patches and his breathing picks up when he sees Nines in the doorway. Gavin repeats a series of “no’s” in a small voice until the other RK900 cruelly tightens his grip in warning.

“You care for this android. It would be a shame for him to be... deactivated,” not-Nines says and Nines knows there’s only one option available for him. Perhaps Gavin can read his intentions in the depths of his eyes because he gives the slightest of head-shakes, expression crestfallen, as Nines takes a step forward, hands raised to mid-chest in a non-threatening manner, to give himself up.

He should have known Gavin would never allow that to happen.

Gavin slams his head back into the RK900’s nose and proceeds to twist out of his grip. Nines takes the opportunity to run towards them. He manages to grab the hood of Gavin’s jacket and uses his momentum to propel Gavin behind him.

Next, he catches the fist aimed at the side of his head and retaliates by throwing a punch of his own. The RK900 bares his teeth in a snarl and dodges it with ease.

They circle around each other until not-Nines lunges forward and feigns a punch to Nines’ side in order to kick Nines’ feet out from under him. In response, Nines grabs at his successor’s shirt to drag him down with him to the floor. They grapple for the upper hand until the RK900 lands a hard hit that messes up Nines’ sight.

Blinded, Nines brings an arm up to try and shield himself when a merciless fist slams into his face. It dislocates his jaw and a burst of static crackles from his messed-up vocal component. Fingers dig into his chest. A second later, his regulator is twisted out and thrown across the room. It clangs metallically against the concrete floor and Nines desperately, on reflex, flings an arm out in its direction as if he’d be able to reach it.

His breathing picks up while he fights against the clawing panic settling over his thoughts. “G-gav-iiin-nn,” he cries, unable to see or hear where his lover is. 

It’s a desperate plea for help.

“Obsolete,” the RK900 says in monotone and Nines’ optical units fritz back into working order in time to see his lips quirk into a mirthless smile. The fingers of his right hand come to grip against the hand holding him down whilst the other scrambles to paw up his duplicate’s throat. It’s slapped away before he can claw at his eyes so Nines, for lack of better ideas, forces his way through the other android’s mental barriers until they’re joined in an interface.

The world grinds to a halt.

Snippets of memories not his own.

The other RK900 delving deep into his own mind.

A burst of shock and heat and...

...and the weight on his chest disappears followed closely by a loud crash. His regulator is snapped back into place with seven seconds left on the timer and he pulls in a relieved, if unnecessary, breath. Gavin’s face swims into view and Nines wordlessly takes his outstretched hand and allows himself to be pulled up off the floor. Nines snaps his jaw back into place with a small wince and scans over their surroundings again. 

Not-Nines is huddled in the corner furthest away from them, hand pressed against his eye, with the handle of a pocket knife glinting silver between his blood-stained fingers. Thin rivulets of thirium weep from between them, made easier to see when he looks up at them with his remaining eye, and not-Nines shrinks back against the wall upon noticing them watching him. 

Nines has to physically restrain Gavin from throwing himself at the other RK900. 

“Lemme go Nines!” Gavin yells, thrashing in Nines’ grip but his partner holds firm.

“Wait,” Nines says and hearing his voice is enough to douse Gavin’s desperate struggle. “I want to know how he found us.”

“Tracker,” the RK900 says quietly, without any additional prompting. “Cyberlife installed multiples after the incident with the RK800. I- I could help you remove them.”

Gavin’s vehement glare turns to confusion and then his eyes narrow in suspicion. “Why?”

The RK900 doesn’t meet his gaze. “Because I know where they’re located.”

“And why the fuck should we trust you?”

“You shouldn’t, I guess. Look… I’ll help you with this and then you’ll never have to see me again. I promise,” the RK900 says, the desperation in his tone now edging towards begging, as he shifts a little in his corner. “All I ask is that you give me the rest of that memory,” he continues and this time his eye settles on Nines.

“What memory?” Gavin asks, turning his head to look up at Nines, evidently confused.

Nines lets out a crackling sigh and bites his lip. “Of our first night together,” he confesses reluctantly and Gavin’s eyebrows shoot up at the unexpected response. He glances between the two, fixating at last on the RK900 in the corner and realisation dawns on him. 

“You deviated over that?” Gavin says incredulously and the blush stealing over not-Nines’ face is telling enough. 

“Is it really that much of a surprise?” Nines inquires.

Gavin snorts. “Fuck. I guess not. Your call, babe.”

“Leaving him here doesn’t feel right.”

“Yeah,” Gavin mutters and walks over to not-Nines to offer him a hand. “Up and at ‘em.”

The RK900 gives him a tentative smile and allows himself to be pulled to his feet. “I’m sorry for-”

“Shut!” Gavin interrupts while simultaneously slapping his hands down on not-Nines’ cheeks to squish his face together. It’s enough of a shock to abruptly cut the rest of his sentence short and the RK900’s remaining eye widens. 

“I think what Gavin is trying to say,” Nines sighs, “is that we won’t hold what you did before you deviated against you. You weren’t in control.”

“That _is_ what I said,” Gavin argues, still holding onto the poor android who’s looking bluer by the second. Nines lets out a long-suffering sigh but his lips still twitch upwards without his permission. He jerks his chin in the direction of his look-alike and raises a pointed eyebrow. Gavin furrows his brows and squints at him before seemingly realising he should let go. With a last friendly pat to not-Nines’ cheek, he steps back and rolls his shoulders. “So where to?”

-~-

Not far as it turns out. There’s a well-established mechanical repair shop in the area and while androids might not be their speciality, they still had a good variety of tools. For two military grade androids it’s no trouble at all to hack into the security systems and gain access to the facility despite it teeming with armed soldiers outside to discourage the general public from breaking curfew.

They slink in through the back door and the two RK900’s instantly get to work setting up shop and locating all the tools they might require. Gavin hops up on one of the worktables and watches them with interest. It’s really quite fascinating to see them move seamlessly around each other and yet manage to look worlds different. Or maybe he’s biased. Still, he can see the minute differences between their ways of walking or interacting with things.

“Alright,” Gavin claps his hands together to bring attention to himself, “do I need to pull off a heist and find us some thirium?”

Nines shares a glance with RK900 and they both shake their heads. “Too dangerous,” they say in unison and Gavin grimaces.

“First off; boo, you never let me have any fun,” Gavin says, clearly directed at Nines, “and second; never fucking do that again.”

“Do what?” 

“THAT!”

“Show concern?” Nines says at the same time as RK900’s, “Nag?”

If looks could kill they’d both be stone-cold corpses. Gavin sniffs and turns his head away, much like a cat ignoring their owner’s exasperated commands. Nines comes up beside him and pecks him on the cheek, ignoring Gavin’s wholly unsuccessful attempt to snap at him with his teeth, before walking over to the other RK900 again. “You first,” Nines declares.

He heats a piece of metal until it’s scalding and waits for RK900 to nod at him before grabbing the handle of the knife and pulling it out in one swift movement. Nines seizes the automatically thrown punch with his fist and presses the metal against the gaping wound to cauterise it and stop it from bleeding. “Okay?” he asks once he’s done and gets another nod.

“Sorry,” RK900 rasps but Nines shrugs it off.

“It’s fine.”

Nines gives him a half-smile and gets one back. With a steadying breath, Nines walks over to Gavin and sinks down on the table next to him. He allows RK900 to guide him onto his side and Gavin is quick to take Nines’ hand for reassurance.

“Ready?” not-Nines questions and when Nines nods his affirmation, steps forward to lift his shirt to get at his lower back. It takes little time for him to dig out the first tracker and he’s just as quick with the remaining three. Gavin takes great pleasure in grinding them to dust between his fingers and letting the fine grains fall to the floor.

Nines is about to return the favour when both RK’s jerk their heads up. Gavin jumps to his feet immediately. “Trouble?” he asks, scanning the dark doorway leading to the front.

“Yes,” Nines says, rather unnecessarily. Understanding flickers through his eyes when the RK900 opposite him reaches out with his hand, skin already bleeding away. Nines takes it without hesitation and a wet gasp escapes him at the contact.

When Gavin turns to look, their LED’s are swirling red and their breaths are coming in short gasps. A quiet noise of pleasure reverberates through the air and the two androids break apart. Not-Nines is shivering, clutching at the table hard enough to leave imprints, and a blue flush spreads up his cheeks, noticeable even when hunched over.

Nines doesn’t look much better, jeans tented and lip caught between his teeth as he stares unseeingly at the wall. Gavin takes his hand and Nines blinks uncomprehendingly at him while he slowly comes back to reality.

Not-Nines looks up at them after taking a minute to compose himself and smiles crookedly. “Thank you,” he says and within seconds, he’s gone.

“Come on,” Nines grasps Gavin’s hand tighter and they slip out the same way they came, silent and quick. 

They watch from a nearby rooftop how the place gets raided, listening to the raised voices of angry men upon finding it empty. It’s a relief to know the other RK900 is beyond Cyberlife’s grasp; at least for the moment. 

Gavin casts a last look down before following Nines’ retreating footsteps. 

-~-

Clinging tightly onto each other’s hands, they watch Markus’ rallying speech. He stands tall, surrounded by his people, with Connor at his back. Nines smiles, a twitch of the lips really, when Connor surreptitiously waves at them from the stage. Gavin rolls his eyes beside him but waggles his fingers back either way before Connor goes back to looking, well… elated, and perhaps a little lost.

‘They never could have done this without you.’ Nines sends through to him once he accepts Nines’ gentle prodding.

‘Nor you.’

‘I wasn’t the one to liberate thousands of androids from Cyberlife. You did well, Connor,’ Nines continues, letting joy coat every word. ‘We’re very proud of you and I’m sure Hank is as well.’

It’s a wonder how expressive his older “brother” is. As soon as Nines mentions Hank, his cheeks darken a shade and his smile grows bigger. ‘I hope so,’ he says, sounding almost shy. ‘Not sure what else I could do to impress him at this point.’

‘Take off your clothes and lounge naked on his bed.’

‘NINES!’

Gavin frowns as if he heard the silent shout and looks up at him, over to Connor and realisation dawns on him. “I was beginning to wonder what the hell was up with him,” he murmurs, quiet as to not draw attention but Nines merely smirks wickedly in response without comment.

‘It’s highly effective, I assure you. Gavin was barely wearing any clothes when-’ is as far as he gets before Connor slams a wall between them before he cuts off the connection entirely. Nines giggles, trying to stifle it in his hand while Connor seeks him out again just to glare at him.

“You’re terrible,” Gavin says, humour lightening his voice, while he bumps his hip against Nines’, “I like it.”

Nines leans down and knocks their foreheads together, eyes squinting with how big his grin is. Gavin nuzzles against him and then gently pushes him away again to focus back on the stage. He hears Nines grumble, a low rumble of static and humming vibrations, but he obediently goes back to stand quietly beside him, although now they’re close enough for their bodies to touch all the way from shoulder to thigh.

The speech isn’t long and the aftermath is a flurry of motion and rapid-fire decisions. In the semi-chaos they lose sight of Connor and Gavin eventually tugs them both away from the square towards wherever the closest hotel is.

He flirts lightly with the front desk employee and manages to wheedle her into giving them a room for the night. Before they climb into the elevator, Gavin throws her a cheeky wink and Nines bites back the urge to growl at her. After all, it’d be hypocritical of him to blame her for falling for Gavin’s charms. Once the doors close, he asks: “How did you pay for this?”

“Skimmed credit card information off of the clients we had at Eden.”

“Isn’t that illegal?

“Oh, yeah, definitely,” Gavin offers him a careless shrug, “but it’s not like we have money and I can’t say I feel the least bit bad about it. The guy was an asshole.”

Nines lets it go and plants a quick kiss on Gavin's temple just as the elevator lurches to a stop. Technically, they’re not in need for anything fancy but he can recognise the urgency to get off the streets. There will always be those resistant to change and the streets of Detroit will likely be a bad place to be in the coming months. He just hopes the woman at the desk doesn’t look too closely at their details.

The room is unremarkable. Straight edges, white sheets and light colours. They kick their shoes off in the small foyer and Gavin heaves a satisfied sigh when he throws himself backward onto the bed. He bounces a little from the force of his leap and looks at Nines with a slanted smile.

It’s a good look on him.

Gavin sits up just to shuck his jacket over the edge where it lands in a crumpled heap on the floor before he scoots a little further up to sit cross-legged in the middle of the queen size bed. All at once, Nines is thrown back to three months ago. The difference between Gavin then and now is staggering. Sure… he’d always had an overabundance of confidence but freedom looks good on him. There are small changes in his physical appearance, like the way his hair is a mess of loose curls, but the way he now carries himself is what Nines loves the most about him. It’s a far cry from the forced docile persona he’d adopted at Eden.

Nines bites his lip and carefully starts divesting himself of clothes. In a manner of moments, he has Gavin’s full attention centred on him. He pretends like it doesn’t faze him, like he doesn’t see him at all, while he teases the hem of his shirt. Glacially slowly he pulls it up and then quickly slips it over his head and deposits it on the dresser. Next, he unbuckles his belt and slides it from the hoops in his jeans; balling it up in his fist before letting it fall to the floor with a heavy clunk.

He unbuttons his pants and slides his thumbs into the belt hoops on either side. With a shift to his feet, he lowers his jeans down on one side allowing for a glimpse of his soft penis and the sharp edge of a hip bone before he tugs it up again; the perks of not wearing any underwear. He meets Gavin's eyes, head ducked down so he’s looking at him from beneath his eyelashes, and Gavin cocks his head to the side and purses his lips.

Then he smirks and dips his fingers beneath the waistband of his own jeans. A small gasp escapes them both when Gavin begins palming himself lazily. His head rolls back on his shoulders and he fixes Nines with a challenging look; one he knows Nines can’t ignore.

Nines’ jeans and socks are kicked off quickly after that and he draws a hand down his naked chest. He tilts his head so he mirrors Gavin and decides, for the sake of symmetry, to also toy with his genitals. 

He has the advantage of being on full display so it’s impossible to miss when his dick starts filling with thirium. Nines rubs over the delicate head, moaning because he’s still extremely sensitive to touch, and then he wraps his fingers around himself in a loose circle to jerk himself off properly. It’s almost, _almost,_ enough to make him forget; almost enough to distract him from Gavin.

Lube tracks rivers down his thighs by the time he breaks, he just… can’t take it anymore. His own hands are not enough, not when he knows the pleasure Gavin’s can bring him. Nines approaches him on light feet and crawls into his lap while butting his head gently against Gavin’s chin in the process. Gavin chuckles and plants his hands on Nines’ hips, looking up at him fondly. ‘A tall, pretty bitch,’ Gavin thinks, then again… he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“There you go, pet,” he sighs and draws his hands up and down Nines’ sides. It’s simple enough to coax Nines into grinding down on his clothed cock. A lovely sight, he always is, particularly when he moans all breathy and soft. His hips jerk in tight circles, smearing lube over Gavin’s crotch until his pants are all but soaked through. “What a needy darling you are,” Gavin hums and licks up the side of Nines’ throat to taste him, lips twitching into a wicked grin. _“Beg.”_

Another moan worms its way past Nines’ lips at Gavin’s words. “Yes,” he sighs, finding no reason to dispute what is more or less a statement of fact, “please. Want you to fuck me. Please, sir!”

Now it’s Gavin’s turn to bite back a moan. Nines yelps when Gavin flips them around, hands coming up to catch the fabric of Gavin’s t-shirt. He’s a little unused to being manhandled but the jolt of arousal he feels makes him wonder if, perhaps, he should ask for it more often. With an impish grin, Gavin leans down to kiss the surprise from Nines’ expression and only when he’s back to looking properly dazed does Gavin sit back up again. 

He drags his shirt over his head and tosses it to the side before quickly working his pants open, just enough to alleviate the discomfort of denim pressing against his erection. Nines watches his every movement with half-lidded eyes. ‘Debauched is a good look on him,’ Gavin decides and grinds down over Nines’ lap. A moan slips from Nines’ parted lips and Gavin smiles coyly, dragging his hands up over his own stomach until he’s playing with his pecs, pressing them together to make his cleavage more apparent. Nines’ eyes stay glued to them and Gavin feels Nines’ dick twitch against his own. “So,” Gavin says conversely, “do you want to fuck me or…” he pauses for a moment, “would you rather I fucked you?”

“I- can I have both?” Nines stutters shyly and Gavin very nearly comes from that alone.

Gavin hums and gives his nipples a last twist before he plasters himself to Nines’ front. “Of course you can, pet.” His hands come up to cradle Nines’ face. “Any preference for what you’d like first?”

“I’d like your fingers,” Nines says, his own hands coming up to rest against Gavin’s. “I’ve always wondered what they’d feel like, working me open,” he continues and drags a few of Gavin’s fingers closer to envelop them in his mouth. ‘Your fingers always feel so good on my tongue, but... I think they’ll feel even better stretching me wide,’ he finishes over their mental link.

The widening of Gavin’s pupils and the raw _need_ in his eyes is delicious though the passionate kiss Gavin pulls him into is nothing to scoff at either. His mouth is always so warm and wet inside and Nines groans when his lover sucks lightly on his tongue. ‘He tastes like home,’ Nines thinks and desperately tries to press up against him despite already being as close as they can get.

Their makeout session drags on for minutes, neither of them feeling the need to separate, but eventually Gavin pulls back to Nines’ mild protesting. “I’m gonna make you feel so good, pet. You’ll be ruined for anyone else.”

“Don’t want anyone else, just you,” Nines pants and Gavin smiles gently before quickly shedding his remaining clothes to make things easier for them later on. Dragging his fingers between Nines’ crack, to gather up the slick pooling there, he coats the digits liberally before moving them lower on Nines’ body to tease over his furled hole. 

A light tap against it has the muscles contracting before it winks open again and Gavin takes his time circling and playing around the rim until Nines is squirming impatiently. Just as he opens his mouth to ask him to stop teasing, Gavin’s pointer finger plunges in and the words come out as a static-y gasp. It’s not unpleasant, only… strange, a fullness he isn’t used to yet. It’s certainly not unwelcome. 

Then Gavin moves it out a fraction and thrusts it back in.

“Oh,” Nines gasps and jerks when Gavin’s finger draws almost all the way out and dips back inside together with his middle finger. Experimentally, he rocks his hips down to meet them. It’s a slow, low-simmering pleasure that pools in his abdomen when Gavin continues the soft thrusting motion. The kisses he presses against the skin of Nines’ thighs and the slow strokes with his other hand only adds to the liquid heat pooling low in his abdomen. “More, please.”

Gavin obliges him easily. He gathers up some more slick before pushing inside with three fingers, scissoring them gently and rocking them in and out. When Nines begins moving his hips back to meet his fingers again, Gavin crooks them gently, searching for the one spot inside Nines that is sure to drive him crazy. It takes only a couple adjustments before the tips of his fingers graze over it and a startled moan drags its way out of Nines’ throat. “Wha- ah! nngh!” he gasps, trying to form words but they come out a garbled mess of moans and whimpers instead when Gavin continues to mercilessly stroke over that one particular cluster of nerves.

The skin bleeds away from where Gavin is rubbing soothing circles into his thigh and he pushes ‘more!’ to the front of his mind, hoping Gavin will hear it through the superficial connection, and is quickly rewarded with another finger. Fond amusement filters over from Gavin but he’s too far gone to say anything about it, there’s just pleasure and the feeling of his lover’s fingers stretching him wide.

‘Please,’ he mouths. The digits withdraw and Nines whimpers, pawing at any part of Gavin he can reach to try and get them back. Gavin clicks his tongue and slaps Nines lightly on the cheek with his lube-slick hand to ground him. It’s surprisingly effective.

“How much do you think you’ll be able to take?” Gavin smirks, wiggling his hand in front of Nines’ eyes.

The realisation dawns on him slowly, like the steadily rising sun, and when the penny finally drops his pupils dilate until they’ve eclipsed his blue irises completely. “Everything,” he says and draws his knees up to put everything on display.

Gavin presses his slick thumb down at the centre of Nines’ bottom lip, pulling it away when Nines’ tongue darts out to taste it, before moving his hand in between his legs to slicken it liberally. “I’ll go slow,” he murmurs and presses a light kiss to the crease of Nines’ thigh before he hoists one of Nines’ legs over his shoulders for easier access.

He slowly plunges his fingers back inside, one by one to ease the strain, until he’s thrusting all five of them inside all the way to the second knuckle. Nines reacts beautifully. His back arches in a fine bow, his fingers trembling where they’re intermittently clutching the locks of Gavin’s hair or the messy sheets. They lose count of the number of times Nines pleads for Gavin to keep going, to give him more, to give him _everything._ It’s not until Nines is digging the heel of his foot into Gavin’s spine, until he’s trembling with unbridled want and urgency, that his lover finally escalates.

Gavin laughs, bright yet no louder than a whisper, before he slathers even more slick on his hand. He presses his fingers together and tucks his thumb in to make his hand as small as possible. A deep breath... and Gavin is slowly pushing inside, inch by divine inch. It’s a steady pressure, almost bordering on too much. 

Their breathing patterns, their artificial hearts, are both synced when Gavin’s knuckles catch on his rim.

In the moment before his hand slips in, Nines presses back against him in both body and soul; dragging Gavin headfirst into a meld. They both throw their heads back at the sensation of fullness when Gavin’s hand slips all the way inside. 

“AH!” Nines’ orgasm washes through them both when Gavin twists his wrist the tiniest bit, causing his knuckles to brush up against Nines’ prostate. Gavin’s right there with him, falling off the cliff and leaving a mess over the bed while Nines’ cum streaks his chest almost up to his chin.

His hand continues rocking, twisting, pushing; dragging carelessly against the bundle of nerves inside until they can’t so much as string a coherent thought together between them. Eventually, he allows his hand to still, if only for a moment; if only for them to catch their breaths.

With a look shared, they both move towards each other. Their lips meet in a kiss, warm and pliant, that quickly turns into two. Those two turn into three, then four, then five. The replicate sensations quickly have them moving against each other again, the blazing desire not yet quelled to smouldering embers. “Please,” Nines murmurs against his lips. “You promised you’d fuck me.”

Gavin couldn’t contain the moan even if he tried. “Very well, pet,” he laughs. With careful movements he extracts his hand, after a last caress to Nines’ prostate, and muffles Nines’ wounded cry with his mouth. “Impatient.” Gavin moves to lift Nines’ other leg over his remaining shoulder. “Impudent,” he continues as he lines himself up and takes in the glowing happiness gentling Nines’ sharp features. _“Insatiable.”_

And then he buries himself in Nines’ wet heat with a hoarse groan.

Nines clings to him, his nails digging into the skin of Gavin’s shoulders until his chassis peeks through. The closeness he feels to Gavin like this is indescribable. He’d missed this, so fucking much, and he can feel just how unerringly Gavin echoes his thoughts. 

He moves languidly, in slow rolls of his hips, as if breaking away from Nines for even a second is too much to bear. The head of his cock nudges against Nines’ prostate with every thrust. Nines can’t think. He captures Gavin’s lips for his own and nibbles at them until Gavin licks into his mouth to make him stop. 

Their tongues move against each other at the same pace as their hips, slowly, as if they have all the time in the world. 

Right now, it feels like they do.

Gavin drags it out until they’re both shaking. Their orgasms build in tandem until it crests and washes over them like a tidal-wave. Nines feels warmth flood him, feels the way Gavin’s cock twitches as keenly as if it were his own, and his sphincter clenches rhythmically around the length buried inside him to milk them both for all they have. His cry of euphoria is wordless as he arcs into Gavin’s touch.

Laughter, non-verbal as well, envelops him. Gavin had ridden out the waves too but with a great deal more composure intact. Still, his eyes are warm and free of judgement and he looks at Nines as if he’s the most precious thing in the world. “Did it live up to your expectations, pet?” Gavin says, voice soft and barely louder than a murmur.

Nines kisses him in lieu of an answer but he knows Gavin can read the response in his tangled thoughts. 

“Do you still want more?” Gavin asks then and Nines nods, startling when Gavin clicks his tongue in disapproval. “Out loud.”

“Yes,” Nines says. “I want it.”

“It?”

“Want to feel you wrapped around me,” Nines breathes against his lips and there’s a small flicker of defiance in his eyes when he holds Gavin’s gaze. “I want to feel your slick drip out around my cock. I want to see if I can make you beg too.”

Heat floods him, though not his own and Nines slowly retreats from their interface; blocking Gavin’s access when he tries to follow. “Can’t spoil what I’m planning, now can I?” Nines continues and pushes Gavin to sit up. His erect penis slips out of Nines as well and he quietly mourns the loss even if he can hardly wait for what comes next. His lover is looking at him with intrigue and unbridled lust, a little shocked perhaps at seeing Nines effortlessly take control. 

“Close your eyes?” Nines asks and almost expects Gavin to be a brat about it. He’s pleasantly surprised when Gavin goes without a fight, waiting for Nines to arrange him as he pleases.

Nines knows exactly what to do. It takes little time to rearrange them, Nines kneeling on the bed, his feet together but thighs spread, with Gavin practically in his lap and back pressed against Nines’ front. He guides himself to Gavin’s entrance, dipping his fingers inside first to find Gavin sufficiently loose even without preparation. “Sit.”

Gavin clenches his jaw but ultimately his need to know Nines’ plans outweigh his pride. At least this once. Although instead of the slow adjustment Nines had expected, Gavin sheaths himself on his dick in less than a second. Nines yelps and whacks Gavin rather harshly on his thigh when he has the audacity to laugh at him. The swat doesn’t stop him from continuing to giggle and Nines can’t help the growl clawing its way out of his throat.

_“Gavin.”_

“Yes, pet?” Gavin’s voice is bright.

“You are... you,” Nines settles on, unable to put his conflicted feelings into words. “Why don’t you open your eyes?”

He does and goes rigid against Nines. The dresser happens to be pushed up against a floor-to-ceiling length mirror and Nines has positioned them perfectly to put everything on display. Gavin’s cock, flushed at the tip and wet with Nines’ fluids, his taut stomach which Nines has an arm circled around possessively, the emotions playing over his face, Nines gazing over him with dark eyes and an even darker smile, they’re all reflected back at them. “I want you to watch,” Nines murmurs as he slowly moves his hips back only to thrust them forward again glacially slowly. “I want you to look at yourself while I _fuck_ you,” Nines continues, watching with delight as the flush spreads from Gavin’s cheeks down over his neck and chest, “I want you to see just how beautifully you fall apart.”

Gavin meets his eyes in the mirror and Nines offers him a toothy grin before he grinds up into Gavin slightly faster, slightly deeper, than before. 

Nines continues with that pace for a while, growing progressively frustrated when Gavin’s composure doesn’t break. He tries increasing the pace but even then... Gavin seems to anticipate it and swallows his moans down before Nines can hear them. With a furrowing of his brow, Nines throws caution to the wind and slams into Gavin with all the strength Cyberlife afforded him.

Gavin cries out and slackens in Nines’ grip until Nines is the only thing holding him upright. His fingers dig into Nines’ arms when Nines uses his hold on him to slam him down onto his lap on every upward thrust. It's still not quite right so Nines shifts the angle of his thrusts slightly and Gavin lets out a sound similar to a wounded animal. Every bump up against his prostate drags another broken moan out of him and he’s reduced to a mess of hitching “ah- ah- ah’s” whenever his vocal component chooses to cooperate. 

Had they been human they’d be covered in a fine hue of sweat a long time ago. Although… Gavin is drooling down his chin and Nines decides it’s an adequate substitute of fluids. It looks good on him anyway, the mess and the glassy eyes and the tousled hair. 

Gavin stares at his own wrecked form, trying to hold on to whatever is left of his sanity, as Nines continues his valiant efforts of rearranging his guts. He’s never taken anyone this deep before, never had anyone turn his legs to jello, never had anyone clock his prostate with such unnerving accuracy. His HUD is partially obscured by warnings of possible damages if Nines keeps at it, some internal component in his genital area being nudged whenever his partner thrusts in. There might be something about a misalignment in his back but Gavin quite carelessly swats all of them away. He doesn’t fucking care right now; all that matters is him and Nines and the pleasure taking over them both.

His orgasm hits him hard and all too quickly for him to really see it coming. As it slams into him, he tries connecting with Nines again only to be rebuffed. It draws a sob from him, at having to go through it alone, when it’s nearly enough to make him reboot on the spot. Another warning pops up, more insistent, though Gavin has no time to even try and decipher it before he’s privy to what’s wrong.

A gush of fluid flows out around Nines’ cock as the component responsible for dispensing lube in his rectum breaks. He moans, muscles clenching tight as if hoping it would stem the flow. It doesn’t help at all. Lube keeps squirting out around Nines’ cock before the residue is fucked right back into him with obscene squelching sounds. The feverish blush on his skin intensifies upon hearing the wet slapping of connecting skin and Gavin whimpers incoherently.

For some reason, though in large part to the vast amount of biting pleasure spreading through his systems, Gavin starts crying; heaving ugly, face-crumpling sobs at the sheer exhaustion and nerve-wracking sensations. Nines slows down upon seeing his tears but the heartbreakingly pathetic noise Gavin lets slip is enough for him to pick up the pace again. “Gavin?” 

“O-kay, ‘m- kay,” he replies though he doubts Nines is fully convinced. A slippery tongue laps over the distilled water substituting for tears and Gavin giggles wetly. It kind of tickles now that his sensors are going haywire.

Nines is at the end of his rope and, from the looks of it, Gavin is close to coming again too. The arm still curled around Gavin’s stomach retreats just enough for him to splay a hand over it possessively while his other moves to rub over the slick head of Gavin’s cock. “Mine,” Nines growls, pressing down harder over his lover’s abdomen and he catches Gavin’s unfocused gaze in the mirror.

“Yours.” The word is no more than a faint gasp but Nines keens when he hears it either way. Then he finally – _finally_ – delves into the interface he’s steadfastly been denying. 

It’s just as overwhelming as the first time; their pleasure bleeding into one another’s. 

They might be screaming or it might just be in their minds, nevertheless, all they can feel are… them. Intertwined and together and sharing an endless loop of mounting sensations until the world darkens before their eyes.

This time, Nines startles awake at roughly the same time as Gavin, who from the looks of it is much worse for wear than their first time. He groans from beneath him and when Nines pulls out, there’s a last gush of fluids leaking out to stain the already thoroughly soiled sheets. Gavin hides his face in the pillows, mortified, and refuses to look up until he hears Nines quietly asks: “Did you mean it?”

Gavin peeks up at him and it takes a few seconds for him to catch up. “Only if it means I can be yours too,” he settles on. Nines seems content with the answer and he plunks down next to him to cuddle up closer.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“Good, ‘cuz you’re not getting rid of me now, babe,” Gavin says and allows Nines to rearrange them until he’s satisfied, neither of them having the fucks to give about resting in the wet spot. They enjoy the afterglow together, communicating mostly through their mental link and gently stroking over each other’s chassis; their skin retracting under their lover’s gentle touch.

Them basking in each other’s presence comes to a halt when Nines suddenly laughs and Gavin looks up from where his head is pillowed on Nines’ arm. “What?”

Nines brings his hand up and allows the screen to flicker to life and display the image he’d just received. It’s Hank, asleep and drooling on his pillow, and a caption that reads: ‘I guess you were right.’

Gavin shakes his head, not in on the joke, but he’s smiling anyway. “Hey, good for them. Last time you could practically cut the tension between them with a knife.”

Nines hums in agreement. “Should we go wash up, my love?”

Gavin blinks at him, smiles crookedly when the words register. “Maybe we should, sweetheart,” he replies and Nines fails to pretend the endearment doesn’t warm his artificial heart. Nines leans over him and plants a quick kiss to Gavin’s forehead. 

“I’m sure we can both fit in the shower if we squeeze together,” Nines states and moves out from under Gavin to get the shower running. He stands there awhile, watching the water slowly heat up, and then patiently waits for Gavin to join him. Several minutes pass without him registering any movement from the other room. With a small frown, he sticks his head out the bathroom door to squint at his lover. “Are you not going to join me?”

His lover gives a lazy stretch of his arms and looks Nines dead in the eye. “I would if you hadn’t fucked me lame.”

“I- I beg your pardon?”

“I can’t move my legs,” Gavin clarifies. 

“You- what?” 

“In my defence... the warnings didn’t seem like that big of a deal at the time.”

Nines closes his eyes, presses the palms of his hands into them, and says, in a very small voice: “I did this?”

“I’d say it was maybe twelve percent you, yes,” Gavin says cheerfully and then reaches out towards Nines. “Come here, babe.” When Nines doesn’t move, he flails one arm a bit with impatience. It seems to do the trick because Nines haltingly steps closer until Gavin can touch him. “Would you have stopped if I asked you to?”

“Of course!” Nines’ voice is shaking slightly and Gavin squeezes his wrist for reassurance.

“That’s why I didn’t,” Gavin admits. “It’s not your fault. You didn’t hurt me, Nines.” He waits until Nines nods his head, though he still looks dubious. “It’s an easy fix if you’d like to help?”

Another nod and Nines takes the last step to sink down on the bed next to him. Gavin wasn’t lying about the severity. A few wires having gotten tangled and a tube being compressed unnaturally. Nines is done in under a minute and he watches in silence as Gavin wiggles his toes and then bends his knees to heave himself up in an upright position. “Thank you!”

Nines smiles at him and hoists Gavin up in a bridal carry, not minding his vehement protests as he walks them to the bathroom. He doesn’t let Gavin go when he steps into the shower either. Instead, he shifts him around to be able to step inside and let the water pour over them both. Gavin gives up on his low-key grumbling after a while and allows Nines to hold him up. It leaves his hands free to wash out Nines’ hair at least, so that’s a plus.

Gavin’s pliant like this, all soft looks and softer touches, once he stops mock-complaining. Nines experiments with moving him around a little and Gavin merely goes along with it by clinging a little bit tighter and sighing quietly. ‘He’s like a docile kitten,’ Nines thinks even if he doesn’t say it out loud. 

No need to ruin the domestic glow enveloping them both.

The bed is… a mess. Gavin comes up with an easy solution to avoid the wet spot by dragging Nines down on top of himself. “This is nice,” he murmurs, as if Nines isn’t three hundred pounds of carbon, plastic and steel and quite literally crushing him into the mattress. 

Nines smiles, a little dopey, and melts into him when Gavin begins massaging his scalp, scratching his nails gently over the short hairs on the nape of his neck and back up to his hairline. He falls asleep like that, content and blanketed in warmth, Gavin following close behind. 

**Author's Note:**

> And with this fic I've managed to reach my set goal of writing and publishing (at least) one fic a month. Pretty happy with that!
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated but, as always, absolutely no pressure. Also, if you want to talk to me about dbh (or anything really) I can be found [here!](allegedlyanandroid.tumblr.com)


End file.
